ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nathalie Miebach - Artist
Nathalie Miebach is a Boston-based artist who translates weather data into complex sculptures and musical scores.

Why you should listen

Nathalie Miebach's work focuses on the intersection of art and science and the visual articulation of scientific observations. Her woven sculptures interpret scientific data related to astronomy, ecology and meteorology in three-dimensional space. Her pieces simulatneously function as works of art, aural embodiments of data (musical compositions) and instruments that illustrate environmental change.

By utilizing artistic processes and everyday materials, Miebach questions and expands the boundaries of traditional science data visualization -- and provokes expectations of what visual vocabulary is considered to be in the domain of science and art. Miebach is a TEDGlobal 2011 Fellow.

More profile about the speaker
Nathalie Miebach | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2011

Nathalie Miebach: Art made of storms

Nathalie Miebach: 源自風暴的藝術

Filmed:
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藝術家 Nathalie Miebach 把巨大風暴中取得的氣象數據,變成複雜的雕塑,從而體現出自然和時間的力量。這些雕塑,然後又變成一個弦樂四重奏的樂譜。
- Artist
Nathalie Miebach is a Boston-based artist who translates weather data into complex sculptures and musical scores. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

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(Music音樂)
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(音樂)
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What you just heard聽說
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你剛聽到的
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are the interactions互動 of barometric氣壓 pressure壓力, wind and temperature溫度 readings讀數
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是錄自2007年颶風諾埃爾(Noel)
00:44
that were recorded記錄 of Hurricane颶風 Noel諾埃爾 in 2007.
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的氣壓、風速和氣溫的讀數的互動。
00:48
The musicians音樂家 played發揮 off a three-dimensional三維 graph圖形 of weather天氣 data數據 like this.
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音樂家按這樣一個天氣數據的立體圖型來演奏。
00:52
Every一切 single bead珠子, every一切 single colored有色 band,
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每一粒珠子,每一粒顏色的珠子,
00:54
represents代表 a weather天氣 element元件
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都代表了一個可以閱讀為音符
00:56
that can also be read as a musical音樂 note注意.
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的一個天氣元素。
00:59
I find weather天氣 extremely非常 fascinating迷人.
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我覺得天氣非常令人著迷。
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Weather天氣 is an amalgam汞合金 of systems系統
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天氣對大家來說本質上是無形的
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that is inherently本質 invisible無形 to most of us.
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是多個系統的混合體。
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So I use sculpture雕塑 and music音樂
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所以我利用雕塑和音樂來創造它,
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to make it, not just visible可見,
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不單只使它可看得到,
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but also tactile and audible聽得見.
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還可摸得到和聽得到。
01:11
All of my work begins開始 very simple簡單.
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我的做法很簡單。
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I extract提取 information信息 from a specific具體 environment環境
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我以非常低科技的儀器 --
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using運用 very low-tech技術含量低 data數據 collecting蒐集 devices設備 --
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一些隨便可在五金店能買到的 --
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generally通常 anything I can find in the hardware硬件 store商店.
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從特定環境中收集信息。
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I then compare比較 my information信息 to the things I find on the Internet互聯網 --
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然後我把信息跟在互聯網上找到的東西 --
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satellite衛星 images圖片, weather天氣 data數據
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衛星影像,天文台的天氣數據,
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from weather天氣 stations as well as offshore海上 buoys浮標.
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以及海上的浮標比較。
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That's both historical歷史的 as well as real真實 data數據.
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那些是歷史的,又是實時的數據。
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And then I compile all of these numbers數字 on these clipboards剪貼板 that you see here.
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然後我把這些數字在你看到的這些剪貼板上組合起來。
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These clipboards剪貼板 are filled填充 with numbers數字.
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這些剪貼板都佈滿數字。
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And from all of these numbers數字,
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而在這些數字裡,
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I start開始 with only two or three variables變量.
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我只從兩三個變數開始。
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That begins開始 my translation翻譯 process處理.
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就這樣開展我的翻譯流程。
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My translation翻譯 medium is a very simple簡單 basket.
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我翻譯的媒介是一個很簡單的籃子。
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A basket is made製作 up of horizontal and vertical垂直 elements分子.
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一個由橫向和縱向元素造成的籃子。
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When I assign分配 values to the vertical垂直 and horizontal elements分子,
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當我把數值配置在縱向和橫向的元素上,
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I can use the changes變化 of those data數據 points over time
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我可以用這些數據隨時間遷移的變化
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to create創建 the form形成.
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來創造型狀。
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I use natural自然 reed蘆葦,
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我使用天然蘆葦,
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because natural自然 reed蘆葦 has a lot of tension張力 in it
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因天然蘆葦很有彈性
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that I cannot不能 fully充分 control控制.
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令我無法完全控制它。
02:03
That means手段 that it is the numbers數字 that control控制 the form形成,
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這意味著是數字,而不是我,
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not me.
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控制這型狀。
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What I come up with are forms形式 like these.
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我造出了像這些的很多型狀。
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These forms形式 are completely全然 made製作 up
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這些型狀完全根據
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of weather天氣 data數據 or science科學 data數據.
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天氣或科學數據構造出來。
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Every一切 colored有色 bead珠子, every一切 colored有色 string,
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每一粒顏色珠子,每一條顏色線條,
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represents代表 a weather天氣 element元件.
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代表一個天氣元素。
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And together一起, these elements分子, not only construct構造 the form形成,
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加起來,這些元素,不單只構成其型狀,
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but they also reveal揭示 behavioral行為的 relationships關係
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也揭示了
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that may可能 not come across橫過
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在平面上不會遇到
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through通過 a two-dimensional二維 graph圖形.
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的行為關係。
02:25
When you step closer接近, you actually其實 see
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當你靠近些,你實際上可看到
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that it is indeed確實 all made製作 up of numbers數字.
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它確實是由數字構成的。
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The vertical垂直 elements分子
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縱向的元素
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are assigned分配 a specific具體 hour小時 of the day.
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配上了一天內的特定時間。
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So all the way around, you have a 24-hour-小時 timeline時間線.
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繞一圈是24小時的時間線。
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But it's also used to assign分配 a temperature溫度 range範圍.
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但它同時配上了一個氣溫的區間。
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On that grid, I can then weave編織 the high tide浪潮 readings讀數,
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在那個網格上,我編織上潮水漲退讀數,
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water temperature溫度, air空氣 temperature溫度 and Moon月亮 phases.
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水溫、氣溫和月亮盈虧。
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I also translate翻譯 weather天氣 data數據 into musical音樂 scores分數.
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我也把天氣數據譯成音符。
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And musical音樂 notation符號 allows允許 me a more nuanced細緻入微 way
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樂譜又容許我在無損其內容的情況下
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of translating翻譯 information信息
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更細緻入微地
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without compromising折中 it.
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翻譯信息。
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So all of these scores分數 are made製作 up of weather天氣 data數據.
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所以這些音符都是來自天氣數據。
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Every一切 single color顏色, dot, every一切 single line,
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每種顏色,每一點,每條線
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is a weather天氣 element元件.
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都是一個天氣元素。
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And together一起, these variables變量 construct構造 a score得分了.
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加起來,這些變數組成了一個樂章。
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I use these scores分數 to collaborate合作 with musicians音樂家.
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我用這些樂章跟音樂家合作。
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This is the 1913 Trio三重奏
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這是1913三人組
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performing執行 one of my pieces
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在密爾沃基藝術博物館
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at the Milwaukee密爾沃基 Art藝術 Museum博物館.
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演奏我的一篇作品。
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Meanwhile與此同時, I use these scores分數 as blueprints藍圖
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同時,我以這些樂章作為藍圖
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to translate翻譯 into sculptural雕塑 forms形式 like this,
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演譯成這樣的雕塑
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that function功能 still in the sense
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使它仍有
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of being存在 a three-dimensional三維 weather天氣 visualization可視化,
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立體視覺化的氣象的感覺,
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but now they're embedding嵌入
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但現在又包含了
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the visual視覺 matrix矩陣 of the musical音樂 score得分了,
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樂章的視覺矩陣,
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so it can actually其實 be read as a musical音樂 score得分了.
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而實際可解讀成一篇樂章。
03:28
What I love about this work
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我熱愛這工作的原因是
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is that it challenges挑戰 our assumptions假設
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它挑戰了那一種視覺詞彙屬於藝術,
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of what kind of visual視覺 vocabulary詞彙 belongs屬於 in the world世界 of art藝術, versus science科學.
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那一種屬於科學的假設。
03:35
This piece here is read very differently不同
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這件作品會根據它放置的地方
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depending根據 on where you place地點 it.
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有不同的解讀。
03:39
You place地點 it in an art藝術 museum博物館, it becomes a sculpture雕塑.
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放它在藝術博物館,它便是雕塑。
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You place地點 it in a science科學 museum博物館,
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放它在自然博物館,
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it becomes a three-dimensional三維 visualization可視化 of data數據.
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它變成立體視覺化的數據。
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You place地點 it in a music音樂 hall大廳,
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放它在音樂廳,
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it all of a sudden突然 becomes a musical音樂 score得分了.
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它突然間又變成了一篇樂章。
03:50
And I really like that,
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我真的很喜歡這樣,
03:52
because the viewer觀眾 is really challenged挑戰
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觀眾真正受到挑戰,
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as to what visual視覺 language語言
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究竟視覺語言
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is part部分 of science科學 versus art藝術 versus music音樂.
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是屬於科學,藝術,還是音樂的一部份?
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The other reason原因 why I really like this
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另一個我實在喜歡這樣的原因,
04:00
is because it offers報價 an alternative替代 entry條目 point
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是它提供了進入科學的複雜性的
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into the complexity複雜 of science科學.
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另一個切入點。
04:05
And not everyone大家 has a Ph博士.D. in science科學.
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我們並非每一個人都擁有自然科學的博士學位。
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So for me, that was my way into it.
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對我來說,這是我進入這片天地的方法。
04:09
Thank you.
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謝謝。
04:11
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Kai Cheong Chan
Reviewed by Ana Choi

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nathalie Miebach - Artist
Nathalie Miebach is a Boston-based artist who translates weather data into complex sculptures and musical scores.

Why you should listen

Nathalie Miebach's work focuses on the intersection of art and science and the visual articulation of scientific observations. Her woven sculptures interpret scientific data related to astronomy, ecology and meteorology in three-dimensional space. Her pieces simulatneously function as works of art, aural embodiments of data (musical compositions) and instruments that illustrate environmental change.

By utilizing artistic processes and everyday materials, Miebach questions and expands the boundaries of traditional science data visualization -- and provokes expectations of what visual vocabulary is considered to be in the domain of science and art. Miebach is a TEDGlobal 2011 Fellow.

More profile about the speaker
Nathalie Miebach | Speaker | TED.com